Crimping devices



June 2, 1964 A. L. LOUCKS CRIMPING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June12, 1962 INVENTOR. A. L. LOU C K5 (EM 543% ATTORNEY June 2, 1964 A. L.LoucKs 3,

CRIMPING DEVICES Filed June 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A. L.LOUCKS Amfi ATTORNEY 3,135,146 CRIMPING nnvrcns 'Alton'L. Louclrs,Baltimore,:Md., assignor to Western Electric ompany, Incorporated, NewYork, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Filed June 12, 1962, Ser. No. 201,932

4 Claims. (Cl. 81-15) ture and permit pressurizingjthe cables duringshipment and installation,

It has been customary in the past to roll or force annular grooves insuch cap-type seals with rollers or steel strands, respectively.However, the caps are normally placed on the ends of such cables whenthe cables have already been coiled on shipping reels, with the insideends of the cables in relatively inaccessible positions. Accordingly,the size of thecrimping tool must be limited, particularly when used onthe inside ends of the cables. Further, when steel strands are used toforce crimps in the caps, the crimps are not uniform around the entirecircumference of the cable resulting in the annular portion, projectinginwardly from the cap, being nonuniform, so that sometimes grooves orpassages are formed between theinner surfaces of the caps and the outercontiguous surfaces on the ends of the cables, which permit leakage ofgases from pressurized cables or permit moisture to enter the cables.Also, if the crimps are not sufiiciently deep, the cap will not stay onthe cable during the handling thereof. On the other hand, if the crimpsare made too deeply, the cable core may be squeezed so operation andadded expense.

Accordingly, itis desirable to provide a crimping device with whichuniform crimps of a predetermined depth may be formed, and amechanically strong and impervious joint may be assured between each ofthe caps and sheaths of the. associated cables. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for placingannular, circumferential crimps in cylindrical articles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide new andimproved crimping devices of the type which may be utilized for formingannular crimps in caps of cap-type end seals for sheathed cables,particularly plasticsheathed cables. j

i It is another object of the present invention to provide crimpingdevices which are capable of forming uniform annular crimps in caps ofcap-type end seals of a predetermined depth, and to form mechanicallystrong and United States Patent impervious joints between the innersurfaces of the caps 3,135,146. Patented June 2, i964 invention mayinclude a housing; an article-forming member formed at least in part bya projecting, notched plate and being-mounted in the housing; and asecond' article-forming member formed at least in part by a notched,projecting plate positioned in mutually parallel, contiguous,cooperative relationship with the notched plate of the first-mentionedarticle-forming member. The second-mentioned article-forming member isslidable in i the housing for relative reciprocating movement toward andaway from the first-mentioned articleforming member. The first andsecond-mentioned article-forming members are separated normally adistance sufiiciently great so that the notches in the platesthereof'form an aperture therebetween sufiiciently large to permit theinsertion of a cylindrical article to be crimped. Means are provided formoving the second-mentioned article-forming member toward thefirst-mentioned article-forming member a predetermined distance so thatthe plates thereof cooperate to apply radial pressures circumferentiallyof the cylindrical articles to be crimped and to form an annular,peripheral groove in the cylindrical article which extends around theentire circumference of the cylindrical article. 7

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, whenread in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a crimping device embodying certainfeatures of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side-elevational view of thecrimping device ofFIG. 1 with portions broken away and a hinged portionthereof open for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, exploded view of two cooperating working parts ofthe crimping device of FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views of the crimping device of FIG. 1 shownin two different operating positions.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2thereof, there is shown a crimping device, designated generally by thenumeral 10, which includes an apertured housing, designated, generallyby the numeral 11. A relatively stationary article-forming member,designated generally by the numeral 12, is

mounted in a cavity 13 (FIG. 2) on the inside of the. housing 11. Thearticle-forming member 12 is formed of two spaced, notched, metal plates16-.-16 which are mounted in spaced relationship with each other by twospacer elements 17-17.

A second article-forming member, designated gener: ally by the numeral18, is mounted slidably in the housing 11 and is formed of a pair ofnotched plates 2121 separated by a spacer element 22. The plates 1616 ofthe stationary article-forming member 12 are interleaved with andcooperate with plates 2121 of themovable article-forming member 18 toapply pressure radially of a metal cap 23, positioned therebetween, intwo sections of the cap 23 to form peripheral grooves orconstrictions2526 which extend around the entire circumference of the cap 23 in bothsections. The pressure applied to the outer surface of the cap 23displaces the metal of the cap 23 radially inwardly to form theconstrictions 26-26, thus forming substantially uniform, inwardlyprojecting, annular ribs 2727 in the cap23.

The ribs 2'7Z7 compress a sheath 28 and a core 2? of a communicationscable 31 to afiix the cap 23 to the end of the cable 31 and form animpervious bond between the cap 23 and the contiguous portion of thesheath 28.

The movable article-forming member 18 is reciprocated in the housing 11toward the stationary article-forming member 12 by a screw 32; mountedthreadedly in a removable, internally and externally threaded bushing 39in one end of the housing 11. The screw 32 is interconnected with thearticle-forming member 18 by a coupling 33 and is turned by anelectrically driven torque wrench, designated generally by the numeral36, to slide the plates 212l of the article-forming member 18 toward theplates 16-16 of the article-forming member 12 to form the constrictions2.626 in the two portions of the cap 23 positioned therebetween. AU-shaped member 46 is attached to or formed integrally with the movablearticle- 'forming member 18 to strip the constricted cap 23 from thenotches in the plates 16-16 of the member 12. An apertured hingedportion 37 is provided on the housing 11 of the crimping device 16 topermit removal and insertion of the article-forming members 12 and 18 ofvarious sizes, only one size of which is illustrated, to "be utilized onvarious sizes of cables 31. A handle 38 en a hinged portion 37 of thehousing 11 is locked magnetically against a handle portion 41 on themainbody of the housing 11 through the cooperation of a magnet 42 and apiece of magnetic material 43.

A stop member 47 is provided on the hinged portion 37 of the housing 11to position the end of the cap 23 to facilitate placing theconstrictions 26 in the cap 23 a predetermined distance from the endthereof. Adjustably positioned limit switches 48 and 49 are mounted inspaced relationship in the housing 11 and are depressed by an actuator51 secured to and projecting from the coupling 33 to limit the ,travelof the member 18 for controlling the depth of the crimps orconstrictions 2626 and preventing damage to the cap 23, the cable 31 andvarious elements of the device 10. A safety switch 50 is provitied'inthe handle portion 41 of the housing 11, which is closed only when thehinged portion 37 of the housing is closed. The switch 59 preventsenergization of the torque wrench 36 by depressing a trigger switch 52unless the hinged portion 37 is closed-against the main body portion ofthe housing 11.

Operation In'operation, the operator grasps the handle portions 38 and41 of the housing 11 and a handle 55 of the torque wrench 36 andplaces'the crimping device over the uncriinp'ed cap 23 encompassing anend of the cable 31. In this manner, the cap 23 and encompassed endbfthe cable 31 are inserted into an aperture 56 in the housing 11,between the notches in the plates lie-16 and ,2121, through an aperture57 in the hinged portion 37 of'the housing 11 and'against the stop 47.The operatorlinsures that a switch 59, extending through the han- 55 ofthe torque wrench 36 which dictates the direction of rotation the motorof the wrench rotates, is in the proper position and then depresses thetrigger switch 52 to energize the torque wrench. The torque wrench 36,int'urn, rotates the screw 32 to move the article-forming member IStoward the article-forming member 12. The bladeslfifldand 21-21 of thearticle-forming members '12 and 18 cooperate with each other to crimpthe cap 23am form the constriction 2626 therein.

Whenthe forming member 18 has reached a position illustrated in FIG. 4,so that the crimps 26-26 in the cap 23 areisufilciently deep, the switchactuator 51 actuates theswitc'h 48 to deenergize the torque wrench 36and prevents further movement of theiorming members 18 toward theforming member 12 and damage to the tool "or tothe cable 31 beingsealed. The operator then depresses'the switch 59and actuates thetrigger switch 52 torevefse the torque wrench 36 so that the formingmember 18 and U-shaped member 46 are moved away from the forming member12 until the'forming member 18 reaches a position illustrated in FIG. 5.In this position,

the actuator 51 depresses the switch 49 to deenergize the torque wrench36 and prevent damage to the crimping device. During the reverse motionof the forming member 18, the U-shaped member 46 engages the cap 23 andwithdraws the cap from the notches in the blades 16--16 to permitremoval of the sealed end of the cable 31 from the crimping device 10 inpreparation for a subsequent crimping operation.

The caps may be made of steel, brass or any other suitable material. Ifsteel caps are utilized, it is desirable that a fluid cylinder be usedto cause relative movement between the forming members 12 and 18,instead of the torque wrench 36.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the invention. Other arrangements may be devised bythose skilled in the art which will embody the principles of theinvention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A crimping device,- which comprises:

a housing;

an article-forming member formed at least in part by a plurality ofspaced, notched plates and being mounted relatively stationarily in saidhousing;

a second article-forming member formed at least in part 'by a pluralityof spaced, notched plates positioned in interleaving cooperation withthe notched plates of the first-mentioned article-forming member, saidsecond-mentioned article-forming member being slidable in the housingfor relative reciprocating movement toward and away from saidfirst-mentioned article-forming member, said first and secondmentionedarticle-forming members being separated normally a distance suflicientlygreatso that the notches in the plates thereof form an aperturetherebetween sufficiently large to permit the insertion of acylindricalarticle to 'be crimped;

means for moving said second-mentioned article-form ing member towardsaid first-mentioned articleforming member a predetermined distance sothat the interleaved plates thereof cooperateto apply radial pressure'circumferentially of the cylindrical article to be crimped and to forma plurality of axially spaced, annular, peripheral grooves in thecylindrical article which extend around the entire circumference of thecylindrical article;

meansrconnected to said moving means for operating the moving means, and

means responsive to a predetermined distance of travel of saidsecond-mentioned article-forming member toward said first-mentionedarticle-forming member for disconnecting the operating means from themoving means whereby the second-mentioned articleforming member ceasesto move toward the firstmentioned article-forming member.

2. A crimping device, which comprises:

a housing, a portion of said housing being secured hingedly to theremaining portion of the housing;

magnetic means for locking the hinged portion of the housingmagnetically against the remaining portion of the housing;

an article-forming member formed at least in part by a pluralityof'spaced, notched plates and being mounted relatively stationarily insaid housing;

a second article-forming member'formed at least in part by a pluralityof spaced, notched plates positioned in interleaving cooperation withthe notched plates of the first-mentioned article-forming member, thefirst and second-mentioned article-forming members being readilyremovable from the housing through an opening formed therein by thehinged portion thereof, said second-mentioned article-forming memberbeing sli'dable in the housing for relative reciprocating movementtoward and away from said first-mentioned article-forming member, saidfirst and second-mentioned article-forming members being separatednormally a distance sufliciently great so that the notches in the platesthereof form an aperelectrical means for moving said second-mentionedarfirst-mentioned article-forming member.

ing means can be actuated only when said hinged portion is locked to theremaining portion of the housing; I electrical means for limiting themovement of the second-mentioned article-forming member toward thefirst-mentioned article-forming member; and

' a substantially U-shaped member, encompassing the cap and the enclosedportion of the cable, secured to said second-mentioned article-formingmember and movticle-forrning member" toward said first-mentioned abletherewith by the means for moving the secondarticle-forming member apredetermined distance so mentioned article-forming member to withdrawthe that the interleaved plates thereof cooperate to apply crimped capfrom the notches 1'11 the plates of the radial pressurecircumferentially of the cap and to first-mentioned article-formingmember when the secform a plurality of axially spaced, annular,peripheral cud-mentioned article-forming member is moved grooves in thesealing cap which extend around the away from the first-mentionedarticle-forming mementire circumference of the cap and result ininwardlyber subsequent to a crimping operation of the cap projecting annularlyribbed portions of the cap being by the cooperation of the first andsecond-mentioned forced against the sheath of the cable to compressafticle-fofmillg membersi the conductors of the cable for hermeticallysealing 4. A crimping devi Which mpri es:

the end of the cable; a a housing, a portion of said housing beingsecured switch means controlled by the hinged portion of the hingedly tothe remaining portion of the housing;

housing, to complete the circuit for said electric movmagnetic means forlocking the hinged portion of the ing means when said hinged portion islocked by said housing magnetically against the remaining portionmagnetic means and to break said circuit when said 0 t h s g;

, hinged portion is unlocked, so that said electric movn i rm g memberformed at least in p by ing means can be actuated only when S id hingeda plurality of spaced, notched plates and being mountportion is lockedto the remaining portio of th ed'relatively stationarily in saidhousing;

housing; and a second article-forming member formed at least in partelectrical means for limiting the movement of the secy plurality ofSpaced, notched Plates Positioned in end-mentionedarticle-forming me bert a d th interleaving cooperation with the notched plates of thefirst-mentioned article-forming member, the first and second-mentionedarticle-forming members be- 3. A crimping device, which comprises:

a housing, a portion of said housing being secured hingedly to theremaining portion of the housing;

magnetic means for locking the hinged portion of the ing readilyremovable from the housing through an said second-mentionedarticle-forming member being opening formed therein by the hingedportion thereof,

housing magnetically against the remaining portion of the housing;

an article-forming member formed at least in part by a plurality ofspaced, notched plates and being mounted relatively stationarily in saidhousing;

a second article-forming member formed at least in part by a pluralityof spaced, notched plates positioned in interleaving cooperation withthe notched plates of the first-mentioned article-forming member, thefirst and second-mentioned article-forming members being readilyremovable from the housing through an opening formed therein by thehinged portion thereof, said second-mentioned article-forming memberbeing slidable in the housing for relative reciprocating movement towardand away from said first-mentioned article-forming member, saidfirst andsecond-mentioned article-forming members being separated normally adistance sufiiciently great so that the notches in the plates thereofform an aperture therebetween sufficiently large to permit the insertionof a cylindrical sealing cap and enclosed end portion of acommunications cable to be sealed between the artiole-forming members;

electrical means for moving said second-mentioned article-forming membertoward said first-mentioned arslidable in the housing for relativereciprocating movement toward and away from said first-mentionedarticle-forming member, said first and second-mentioned article-formingmembers being separated normally a distance sufficiently great so thatthe notches in the plates thereof form an aperture therebetweensufiiciently large to permitthe insertion of a cylindrical sealing capand enclosed end portion of a communications cable to be sealed betweenthe articleforming members;

an electrically operated torque wrench operable when the hinged portionis locked against the remaining portion of the housing for moving saidsecond-mew tioned article-forming member toward said first-mentionedarticle-forming member a predetermined distance so that the interleavedplates thereof cooperate to apply radial pressure curcumferentially ofthe cap and to form a plurality of axially spaced, annular, peripheralgrooves in the sealing cap which extend around the entire circumferenceof the cap and result in inwardly projecting annularly ribbed portionsof the cap being forced against the sheath of the cable to compress theconductors of the cable for hermetically sealing the end of the cable;

switch means, controlled by the hinged portion of the ticle-fonningmember a predetermined distance so homing, for mple ng t e Circuit forsaid electricalthat the interleaved plates thereof cooperate to apply iOperated torque wrench when Saidfiinged porfifm radial pressurecircumferentially of the cap and to i by said m i means form a pluralityof axially spaced, annular, peripheral 11.1% Roman ihousmggnd. forbreakmg smd grooves in the Sealing cap which extend around r circuitwhensaid hinged portion 1s unlockcd, so that entire circumference of the capand result in inwardthe Said elelcmcauy Zl torque.wre.nch can be lyprojecting annularly' ribbed portions of the cap beig y Whe-n Sal mged P011mm 18 locked to forced a ainst the sheath of the cable to com- Ie-remammg F the housmg m g electrical means for limiting the movement ofthe secpress the conductors of the cable for hermetically ondmlentionedarticlepfonm-ng member toward the sealing the end of the cable;first-mentioned article-forming member; and

switch means, controlled by the hinged portion of the a Substantially. db gencompassing h 11011811124, to Complete the 01'! Quit for Saidelectric IHOV- cap and the enclosed portion of the cable, secured to ingmeans when Said hinged Portion is locked y Said said second-mentionedarticle-forming member and magnetic means and to break said circuit whensaid movable therewith by the means for moving the sec hinged portion isunlocked, so that said electric movcud-mentioned article-forming memberto withdraw Z the crimped cap from the notches in the plates of thefirst-mentioned article-forming member when the second-mentionedarticle-forming member is moved away from the first-mentionedarticle-forming member subsequent to a crimping operation of the cap bythe cooperation of the first and second-mentioned article-formingmembers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8Temple -June 1, 1943 Carlson 1. Sept. 26, 1944 Stone Oct. 28, 1952Johnson Oct. 28, 1952 Landis .Q July 5, 1955 Lazar et a1. -1 Sept. 4,1956 Klingler Mar. 12, 1957 Eubanks May 5, 1959 Martin July 28, 1959Dibner Sept. 25, 1962

1. A CRIMPING DEVICE, WHICH COMPRISES: A HOUSING; AN ARTICLE-FORMINGMEMBER FORMED AT LEAST IN PART BY A PLURALITY OF SPACED, NOTCHED PLATESAND BEING MOUNTED RELATIVELY STATIONARILY IN SAID HOUSING; A SECONDARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER FORMED AT LEAST IN PART BY A PLURALITY OF SPACED,NOTCHED PLATES POSITIONED IN INTERLEAVING COOPERATION WITH THE NOTCHEDPLATES OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED ARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER, SAIDSECOND-MENTIONED ARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER BEING SLIDABLE IN THE HOUSINGFOR RELATIVE RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAIDFIRST-MENTIONED ARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECONDMENTIONEDARTICLE-FORMING MEMBERS BEING SEPARATED NORMALLY A DISTANCE SUFFICIENTLYGREAT SO THAT THE NOTCHES IN THE PLATES THEREOF FORM AN APERTURETHEREBETWEEN SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO PERMIT THE INSERTION OF A CYLINDRICALARTICLE TO BE CRIMPED; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND-MENTIONEDARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER TOWARD SAID FIRST-MENTIONED ARTICLEFORMING MEMBERA PREDETERMINED DISTANCE SO THAT THE INTERLEAVED PLATES THEREOFCOOPERATE TO APPLY RADIAL PRESSURE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE CYLINDRICALARTICLE TO BE CRIMPED AND TO FORM A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED,ANNULAR, PERIPHERAL GROOVES IN THE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE WHICH EXTENDAROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLE; MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID MOVING MEANS FOR OPERATING THE MOVING MEANS, AND MEANSRESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE OF TRAVEL OF SAIDSECOND-MENTIONED ARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER TOWARD SAID FIRST-MENTIONEDARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER FOR DISCONNECTING THE OPERATING MEANS FROM THEMOVING MEANS WHEREBY THE SECOND-MENTIONED ARTICLEFORMING MEMBER CEASESTO MOVE TOWARD THE FIRSTMENTIONED ARTICLE-FORMING MEMBER.